Is this what the future looks like? ... Technology linking smart phones to ATMs is curently being tested.Source: Getty Images

AUSTRALIANS could soon be withdrawing cash from an ATM without using a card.

New technology being trialled overseas allows banking customers to ditch their plastic and rely solely on a smartphone to get cash out of a machine — removing the risk of falling victim to skimmers.

Using a smartphone-based app the customer could operate an ATM without touching it.

Australian Payments Clearing Association’s chief executive Chris Hamilton said the world of innovative financial service technologies was continuing to expand and this type of new technology could be one Australians would soon use.

“There’s a lot of people trying to develop mobile phone based ways of allowing payments services ... there’s no reason why this wouldn’t end up here,’’ he said.

“A financial institution could introduce this for its customers — they can control the app on the phone and the ATM for it work.’’

The technology is being trialled in Ohio in the US by international ATM manufacturer Diebold and similar technology has already been rolled out in Spain.

It requires users to download the company’s mobile wallet and register their debit card within the app.

It then allows registered members to initiate an ATM withdrawal via their phone.

The transactions are paperless; there’s no physical receipt.

The user then scan a QR code that appears on the ATM screen to activate the dispensing of cash.

The transaction does not require a PIN to be entered into the ATM keypad but the customer must still authenticate themselves on their phone once at the machine.

Latest APCA figures show in the 2012/13 financial year there was about 68,800 transactions related to skimming on Australian-issued credit, debit and charge cards and thieves stole more than $25.27 million.

Recent research from the Commonwealth Bank found three out of four Australians believed mobile wallets would replace physical wallets in Australia by 2021.

But strategic relations firm RFi’s director Alan Shields said the use of cash in society in years to come would determine whether these new types of technologies would arrive in Australia.

“If we are moving away from cash, will the banks invest significant amounts of money into an ATM that dispenses cash?’’ he asked.

News.com.au's Privacy Policy includes important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information (including to provide you with targeted content and advertising based on your online activities). It explains that if you do not provide us with information we have requested from you, we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. It also explains how you can access or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature.

A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites.